Psychologists are improving more than people's mental health.

Obesity, smoking, heart disease, all of these physical health problems often involve behavior.

In this episode, Dr. Norman Anderson, CEO, the American Psychological Association, explains how

psychologists play an essential role on health care teams alongside physicians and other medical

professionals.

I'm Audrey Hamilton, and this is Speaking of Psychology.

Thank you. Hamilton and this is speaking of psychology. Today we are talking to Dr. Norman Anderson.

Dr. Anderson is the CEO of the American Psychological Association and the Director of the Association Center for Psychology and Health.

As our nation strives to improve health outcomes for all Americans, the APA and its Center for Psychology and Health are working to expand psychology's role in health by improving access to psychological and behavioral health services,

particularly in primary care settings. Welcome, Dr. Anderson. Thank you. Good to be here.

Dr. Anderson, could you explain in more detail the reasons for creating the APA Center for Psychology

and Health? Well, we have a strategic plan in APA, and one of the goals in the strategic plan is to

advance psychology's role in improving the nation's health. Most people understand that

psychology and psychologists have a role in improving mental health, things like depression

and anxiety, but they don't really understand that we have a very

important contribution to make in improving overall health, even physical health.

Our research has shown very clearly that behavioral and psychological factors contribute

greatly to things like heart disease, the course of cancer, HIV, AIDS,

diabetes.

So we have a very important role to play in overall health, not just mental health.

So the Center for Psychology and Health was created to really galvanize the resources we have

within the central office to advance this overall goal in health.

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